Electronic power protection circuit and applications thereof

ABSTRACT

An electric power protection circuit connected in series to a secondary side circuit of a transformer in a switch mode power supply includes a voltage/current limiting device to get an electric power signal output from the secondary side circuit of the transformer that goes through current and voltage limitation before being output and a constant current/voltage controller to get the electric power signal which has the current and voltage limited by the voltage/current limiting device. The electric power signal further is undergone constant voltage/current control to achieve voltage overshoot protection.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/652,696, filed Jan. 12, 2007, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,598,680, issued Oct. 6, 2009, which claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 200620133165.7, filed Aug. 29, 2006, both of which are commonly assigned and incorporated in their entirety by reference herein for all purposes.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an electric power protection circuit and applications thereof and particularly to an electric power protection circuit adopted for use on a switch mode power supply and a power supply using the electric power protection circuit.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present chargers for handsets and digital cameras mostly adopt a switch mode power supply. Such a charger has a PWM controller on the primary side of a transformer to control electric power according a feedback signal. The secondary side of the transformer has a dual processing amplifier circuit to provide a constant current and a voltage base circuit to provide a constant voltage, or a transistor to provide the constant current and a voltage base circuit to provide the constant voltage. However in order to save cost, in practice the feedback signal end of the PWM controller and the power supply end are coupled together. Refer to FIG. 1 for a block diagram of a conventional switch mode power supply 100. It includes a commutation filter device 102 to receive electric power from a city power and perform electric power rectification and filtering, a power switch 104 which is electrically connected to the commutation filter device 102, a transformer 106 which has a primary side electrically connected to the power switch 104, an output commutation filter device 108 which is electrically connected to a secondary side of the transformer 106, a PWM control device 110 to get a feedback signal and electric power from the output commutation filter device 108 through a coupling element 112 and output an electric power signal to the power switch 104. The PWM control device 110 and the coupling element 112 form a feedback circuit.

While the PWM controller gets the feedback signal and electric power from the same input end and can save cost, it does not provide voltage overshoot protection function. Hence how to provide an electric power protection circuit for a switch mode power supply is a big issue in the electronic industry.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary object of the present invention is to provide an electric power protection circuit and a switch mode power supply that adopts the electric power protection circuit.

The electric power protection circuit according to the invention is connected in series to a secondary side circuit of a transformer in a switch mode power supply. It includes a voltage/current limiting device to get an electric power signal output from a secondary side circuit of a transformer in the power supply that goes through current/voltage limitation before being output, and a constant current/voltage controller to get an electric power signal after the current/voltage limitation and perform constant voltage/current control on the electric power signal to protect electric power.

The invention also provides a switch mode power supply that includes a commutation filter device to receive electric power from a city power and perform rectification and filtering before delivering the electric power, a power switch to receive the electric power output from the commutation filter device, a transformer having a primary side connecting to the power switch, an output commutation filter device to receive electric power output from a secondary side of the transformer that is rectified and filtered before being output, a voltage/current limiting device to get the electric power output from the output commutation filter device that undergoes voltage/current limitation before being output, a constant current/voltage controller to get the electric power output from the voltage/current limiting device and perform constant current/voltage control of electric power signals, and a PWM control device to get the electric power signals from the constant current/voltage controller through an optical coupling element and output to the power switch to control ON and OFF of the power switch. The voltage/current limiting device, constant current/voltage controller and the PWM control device form a feedback circuit.

The foregoing, as well as additional objects, features and advantages of the invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a conventional switch mode power supply.

FIG. 2 is a circuit block diagram of a second embodiment of the invention for a switch mode power supply.

FIG. 3A is a circuit diagram of a first embodiment of the invention for a constant current/voltage controller.

FIG. 3B is a chart showing the electric curve of the first embodiment of the invention for constant current/voltage controller.

FIG. 4 is a circuit block diagram of a third embodiment of the invention for a constant current feedback circuit.

FIG. 5 is a circuit block diagram of a fourth embodiment of the invention for a constant current feedback circuit.

FIG. 6 is a circuit diagram of a fifth embodiment of the invention for a handset charger.

FIG. 7 is a circuit diagram of a sixth embodiment of the invention for a PWM constant current/voltage charger.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Please refer to FIGS. 3A and 3B for the circuit diagram and electric curve of a first embodiment of the invention for a constant current/voltage controller. The constant current/voltage controller includes:

a first comparator comp1 has a negative input end forming a constant voltage control end Vctr1, a positive input end connecting to a voltage source DC and an output end to output a constant voltage control signal Vout; Vcc and GND are power supplies to comp1.

a second comparator comp2 which has a negative input end forming a constant current control end Vsense and a positive input end to get electric power from the voltage source DC through a voltage dividing circuit. The voltage dividing circuit consists of two resistors Ra and Rb. The positive input end of the second comparator comp2 is connected to a first output end (between Ra and Rb) of the voltage dividing circuit. The voltage source DC is connected to another end of the resistor Ra. The second comparator comp2 has an output end connecting to the output end of the first comparator comp1 to output the constant voltage control signal Vout. Vcc and GND are power supplies to comp1 and comp2. The voltage dividing circuit has a second output (input) end (another end of the resistor Rb) to output (input) a constant current control signal Ictr1.

A voltage/current limiting device (namely a diode in this embodiment) is provided that has a positive electrode connecting to the constant voltage control end Vctr1 of the constant current/voltage controller to form a constant voltage feedback circuit. The positive electrode of the diode is connected to the constant current control end Vsense of the constant current/voltage controller to form a constant current feedback circuit.

Refer to FIG. 2 for the circuit block diagram of a second embodiment of the invention for a switch mode power supply 200. It includes:

a commutation filter device 202 to receive electric power from a city power and output the electric power after rectifying and filtering;

a power switch 204 to receive the electric power output from the commutation filter device 202;

a transformer 206 which has a primary side connecting to the power switch 204;

an output commutation filter device 208 to receive the electric power output from a secondary side of the transformer 206 and output the electric power after rectifying and filtering;

a voltage/current limiting device 210 to receive the electric power output from the output commutation filter device 208 and output the electric power after limiting the voltage and current;

a constant current/voltage controller 212 to receive the electric power output from the voltage/current limiting device 210 and perform constant current/voltage control on electric power signals; and

a PWM control device 214 to get the electric power signals from the constant current/voltage controller 212 through an optical coupling element 216 and output to the power switch 204 to control ON and OFF of the power switch 204.

The voltage/current limiting device 210, constant current/voltage controller 212, optical coupling element 216 and PWM control device 214 form a feedback circuit.

In this embodiment the voltage/current limiting device 210 is a diode. It has a negative electrode connecting to the output commutation filter device 208 and a positive electrode connecting to the constant current/voltage controller 212.

The operation principle of the switch mode power supply 200 is as follow: when the secondary side detects system output, namely output voltage overshoot of the output commutation filter device 208 occurs, a voltage overshoot signal is sent back to an input end of the constant current/voltage controller 212 which in turn outputs electric power of a lower potential to set on the optical coupling element 216, thereby a feedback signal detection end of the PWM control device 214 gets a higher voltage. When the higher voltage is above the duty threshold voltage of the PWM control device 214, the PWM control device 214 ends the duty mode and outputs electric power at a higher DC potential. The transformer 206 stops energy transmission. The switch mode power supply 200 does not receive energy, and the voltage at the output end does not rise. Hence electric power protection function is accomplished.

The PWM control device 214 of the invention may be a three-end/four-end single blade PWM controller 214 (inner cluster power switch), and may also independent PWM control device 214 and power switch 204.

The voltage/current limiting device 210 adopted in the invention is a voltage stabilization diode and has the following requirements:

a. when the voltage at two ends of the voltage stabilization diode is output voltage, the current flowing through the voltage stabilization diode should be minimized but without affecting system normal output; and

b. when the voltage stabilization diode is in operation, the stabilized voltage value is determined through the output voltage. Too high of the stabilized voltage value cannot achieve protection effect.

Refer to FIG. 4 for the circuit block diagram of a third embodiment of the invention for a constant current feedback circuit. The constant current/voltage controller 212 has a constant voltage control end and a constant current control end. Depending on different connections of the current/voltage limiting device (namely diode), a constant current feedback circuit or a constant voltage feedback circuit may be configured. An embodiment structure of the feedback circuit of the switch mode circuit is as follow. The constant current/voltage controller 212 includes:

a first comparator comp1 has a negative input end forming a constant voltage control end Vctr1, a positive input end connecting to a voltage source DC and an output end to output a constant voltage control signal Vout; Vcc and GND are power supplies to comp1. and

a second comparator comp2 which has a negative input end forming a constant current control end Vsense and a positive input end connecting to the voltage source DC through a voltage dividing circuit. The voltage dividing circuit consists of resistors Ra and Rb. The positive input end of the second comparator comp2 is connected to a first output end (between Ra and Rb) of the voltage dividing circuit. The voltage source DC is connected to another end of the resistor Ra. The second comparator comp2 has an output end connecting to the output end of the first comparator comp1 to output a constant voltage control signal Vout. Vcc and GND are power supplies to comp2.

The voltage dividing circuit has a second output (input) end (another end of resistor Rb) to output (input) a constant current control signal Ictr1. In this embodiment the feedback circuit is a constant current feedback circuit. The voltage/current limiting device 210 (namely diode) is connected to the constant current control end Vsense of the constant current/voltage controller 212 which has an output end to output a constant voltage control signal Vout to the PWM control device 214 through the optical coupling element 216.

Refer to FIG. 5 for the circuit block diagram of a fourth embodiment of the invention for a constant current feedback circuit. The embodiment structure of the feedback circuit of the switch mode circuit is as follow: It differs from the third embodiment by connecting the voltage/current limiting device 210 (namely diode) to the constant voltage control end Vctr1 of the constant current/voltage controller 212 rather than the constant current control end Vsense as the third embodiment does. Hence the feedback circuit being formed is a constant voltage feedback circuit rather than the constant current feedback circuit in the third embodiment. The output end of the constant current/voltage controller 212 outputs a constant voltage control signal Vout to the PWM control device 214 through the optical coupling element 216.

Based on the third and fourth embodiments previously discussed, it is clear that either through the constant voltage feedback or constant current feedback, the switch mode circuit of the invention can feed back a voltage overshoot signal to an input end of the constant current/voltage controller 212 when voltage overshoot of output electric power is detected. Then the constant current/voltage controller 212 outputs electric power of a lower potential to turn on the optical coupling element 216, thereby the voltage at the feedback signal detection end of the PWM control device 214 rises. When the voltage is higher than the duty threshold voltage of the PWM control device 214, the PWM control device 214 ends PWM duty mode and outputs electric power of a higher DC potential. The transformer 206 stops energy transmission operation. The switch mode power supply 200 cannot get energy, and the voltage at the output end does not rise, thus an electric power protection effect can be accomplished.

Refer to FIG. 6 for the circuit diagram of a fifth embodiment of the invention for a handset charger. The handset charger adopts the switch mode power supply of the invention and has output of 5V/1 A.

In this embodiment, U1 is a PWM controller on the primary side of a transformer. After the circuit is power on, and the voltage at VCC end of U1 is lower than the threshold voltage 4.75V of the jumping cycle set in the chipset, U1 is in a PWM mode. On the other hand, when the voltage at the VCC end is higher than 4.75V, U1 OUT end has a high potential, Q1 cuts off, electric power cannot be transmitted from the primary side of the transformer to the secondary side. U2 is a constant current/voltage controller at the secondary side of the transformer. The internal circuit diagram of U2 is same as previously discussed (referring to FIG. 3A). Constant current control is accomplished through the second comparator comp2 (serving as an operational amplifier). Constant voltage control is accomplished through the first comparator comp1 (serving as an operational amplifier). In normal conditions, the constant control end Vsense of U2 is at a low potential. The constant current control end Vsense and ground are bridged by a resistor R11 of 510 ohms. The potential at the constant voltage control end Ictr1 is (0.2−Io*Rs), where Rs is 0.25 ohm, Io is a load current. Z2 is a Zener voltage clamping diode used in the invention to serve as the voltage/current limiting device 210. To provide normal output the leakage current of Zener voltage clamping diode Z2 must be lower than 1 uA at 5V.

During normal operation, the voltage at two ends of Z2 approximates to system output 5V. The current flowing through Z2 is the leakage current, and is 0.3 uA when 7.5V Zener is selected. The voltage at the constant current control end Vsense is 0.153 uV (R11*0.3 uA) and does not affect normal operation. When output voltage overshoot occurs, presumed caused by alteration of feedback resistor R13 or R15, and R13=120 k ohms, and R15=2K ohms, in the event of no protection and through U2 and the feedback resistor R13 and R15, output voltage is 73.81V (1.21*(R13+R15)/R15). After protection of voltage overshoot is included, when the output voltage reaches Z1 piercing breakdown voltage, current Iz flowing through Z2 has reached above 0.4 mA, the voltage (R11*Iz>0.2V) at two ends of the resistor R11 is higher enough to make the second comparator comp2 of U2 to output a low potential to turn on the optical coupler PC1. VCC end of U1 gets energy from the auxiliary coil of the transformer and rises above the jumping cycle threshold value, the primary coil of the transformer stops transmission of energy, and the secondary coil cannot get energy, output voltage does not increase, hence the output voltage is stabilized. Actual test results are 7.322V (zero loading output) and 7.138V (output loading 0.7 A).

Refer to FIG. 7 for the circuit diagram of a sixth embodiment of the invention for a PWM constant current/voltage charger. In this embodiment the negative electrode of Zener voltage stabilization diode Z2 is connected to system output VO+, the positive electrode of Zener voltage stabilization diode Z2 is connected to the constant voltage control end Vctr1 of U2. The rated voltage of Z2 is 7.5V. To achieve only constant voltage function, system load is 0.375 A (constant current characteristics are effective when load current is greater than 0.8 A). In the normal operation, system output is 5V, Zener voltage stabilization diode Z2 is OFF, the system is not affected. When output voltage overshoot occurs, presumed caused by alteration of the feedback resistor R13 or R15, presumed R13=6.435 k (=6.8 k//120 k) ohms, R5=0.82 k ohms, system output through U2 and the feedback resistors R13 and R15 under no protection condition is 10.59V (1.21*(R13+R15)/R15). After voltage overshoot protection is included, when output voltage reaches the piercing voltage of Zener voltage stabilization diode Z2, Zener voltage stabilization diode Z2 is set on, voltage Vz at two ends of Zener voltage stabilization diode Z2 is 7.5V, and system output is stabilized at 8.41V (Vz+1.21V) to achieve electric power protection effect.

In short, the switch mode power supply of the invention, whether configured in constant voltage feedback or constant current feedback, can feed back a voltage overshoot signal to an input end of the constant current/voltage controller 212 when detects voltage overshoot occurred to output electric power to make the constant current/voltage controller 212 to output electric power at a lower potential to set on the optical coupling element 216. Thereby the voltage at the feedback signal detection end of the PWM control device 214 is boosted. When the voltage is higher than the duty threshold voltage of the PWM control device 214, the PWM control device 214 ends PWM duty mode to output electric power of a high DC potential, the transformer 206 stops energy transmission, therefore the switch mode power supply 200 cannot get energy and the voltage at the output end does not rise. As a result, electric power protection effect can be accomplished. The invention provides a significant improvement over the conventional techniques.

While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been set forth for the purpose of disclosure, modifications of the disclosed embodiments of the invention as well as other embodiments thereof may occur to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to cover all embodiments which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention. 

1. A protection circuit coupled to a secondary side of a switched mode power supply (SMPS), the circuit comprising: a detection circuit configured for coupling to the secondary side of the SMPS and being configured for providing a detection signal; a feedback circuit coupled to the detection circuit for receiving the detection signal, the feedback circuit being also coupled to a primary-side control circuit for providing a feedback signal for over-voltage protection; and a controller coupled to the secondary side of the SMPS, the controller having: a first terminal for receiving a first output signal associated with an output of the SMPS; and a second terminal for receiving a second output signal associated with the output of the SMPS, wherein the controller is configured to use the first output signal to control the SMPS in a constant-voltage mode and configured to use the second output signal to control the SMPS in a constant-current mode.
 2. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the controller comprises: a first comparator having: a negative input end forming a constant-voltage control end; a positive input end coupled to a voltage source; an output end for providing a control signal; and a second comparator having: another negative input end forming a constant-current control end; another positive input end coupled to the voltage source through a voltage dividing circuit, the another positive input end also coupled to a first output end of the voltage dividing circuit; and another output end coupled to the output end of the first comparator.
 3. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the detection circuit comprises a voltage/current limiting device configured for: coupling to the first terminal of the controller to provide over-voltage protection in the constant-current mode; and coupling to the second terminal of the controller to provide over-voltage protection in the constant-voltage mode.
 4. The circuit of claim 3, wherein the voltage/current limiting device comprises a diode and has a negative electrode coupled to an output filter device in the switch mode power supply and a positive electrode coupled to the controller.
 5. The circuit of claim 4, wherein the diode has a positive electrode coupled to the constant-current control end of the controller to form a constant-current feedback circuit.
 6. The circuit of claim 4, wherein the diode has a positive electrode coupled to the constant-voltage control end of the controller to form a constant-voltage feedback circuit.
 7. A protection circuit coupled in series with a secondary side of a switch mode power supply (SMPS), comprising: a controller coupled to the secondary side of the SMPS, the controller having: a first terminal for receiving a first output signal associated with an output of the SMPS; and a second terminal for receiving a second output signal associated with the output of the SMPS, wherein the controller is configured to use the first output signal to control the SMPS in a constant-voltage mode and configured to use the second output signal to control the SMPS in a constant-current mode; and a detection circuit configured for coupling to the first terminal of the controller to provide over-voltage protection in the constant-voltage mode, and configured for coupling to the second terminal of the controller to provide over-voltage protection in the constant-current mode.
 8. The circuit of claim 7, wherein the controller comprises: a first comparator having: a negative input end forming a constant-voltage control end; a positive input end coupled to a voltage source; an output end for providing a control signal; and a second comparator having: another negative input end forming a constant-current control end; another positive input end coupled to the voltage source through a voltage dividing circuit, the another positive input end also coupled to a first output end of the voltage dividing circuit; and another output end coupled to the output end of the first comparator.
 9. The circuit of claim 8, wherein the first comparator includes a positive end coupled to a first reference voltage, and the second comparator includes a positive end coupled to a second reference voltage, the first reference voltage being higher than the second reference voltage.
 10. The circuit of claim 7, wherein the detection circuit comprises a voltage/current limiting device configured for; coupling to the first terminal of the controller to provide over-voltage protection in the constant-current mode; and coupling to the second terminal of the controller to provide over-voltage protection in the constant-voltage mode.
 11. The circuit of claim 10, wherein the voltage/current limiting device comprises a diode.
 12. The circuit of claim 11, wherein the diode has a positive electrode coupled to the constant current control end of the controller to form a constant current feedback circuit.
 13. The circuit of claim 11, wherein the diode has a positive electrode coupled to the constant voltage control end of the controller to form a constant voltage feedback circuit.
 14. A switch mode power supply (SMPS), comprising: a transformer having a primary side for coupling to a power source; a power switch configured to the primary side of the transformer; a controller coupled to the secondary side of the SMPS, the controller including: a first terminal for receiving a first output signal associated with an output of the SMPS: and a second terminal for receiving a second output signal associated with the output of the SMPS, wherein the controller is configured to use the first output signal to control the SMPS in a constant-current mode and configured to use the second output signal to control the SMPS in a constant-voltage mode; and a detection device configured for coupling to the first terminal of the controller to provide over-voltage protection in the constant-current mode, and configured for coupling to the second terminal of the controller to provide over-voltage protection in the constant-voltage mode; and a PWM control device coupled to the controller through an optical coupling element, the PWM controller being configured for controlling the ON and OFF of the power switch; wherein the detection device, the controller, the optical coupling element, and the PWM control device form a feedback circuit.
 15. The switch mode power supply (SMPS) of claim 14, wherein the controller comprises: a first comparator having: a negative input end forming a constant-voltage control end; a positive input end coupled to a voltage source; an output end for providing a control signal; and a second comparator having: another negative input end forming a constant-current control end; another positive input end coupled to the voltage source through a voltage dividing circuit, the another positive input end also coupled to a first output end of the voltage dividing circuit; and another output end coupled to the output end of the first comparator.
 16. The switch mode power supply (SMPS) of claim 15, wherein the first comparator includes a positive end coupled to a first reference voltage, and the second comparator includes a positive end coupled to a second reference voltage, the first reference voltage being higher than the second reference voltage.
 17. The switch mode power supply (SMPS) of claim 14, wherein the detection circuit comprises a voltage/current limiting device configured for coupling to the first terminal of the controller to provide over-voltage protection in the constant-voltage mode, and configured for coupling to the second terminal of the controller to provide over-voltage protection in the constant-current mode.
 18. The switch mode power supply (SMPS) of claim 17, wherein the voltage/current limiting device comprises a diode.
 19. The switch mode power supply (SMPS) of claim 18, wherein the diode has a positive electrode coupled to the constant-current control end of the controller to form a constant current feedback circuit. 